Air-valve for radiators.



PATENTED APR. 30, 1907.

F. W. LEUTHESSER. AIR VALVE FOR RADIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1904.

I? an T63 nnrrnn 'TATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FRED W. 'LEUTI-IESSER, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MONASIL I YOUNKER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLI- NOIS.

AIR-VALVE FOR FIADIATORS Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented April 30, 1907.

Original application filed April5, 1 902, Serial No. 101 ,47 6. Divided and this application filed March 24,1904. Serial No. 199,8 25.

T (I/Z7 whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, FRED W. Lnrrrnnssnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and use i'ul Improvements in Air-Valves for Radian tors, of which the following is a specification, the same being a division of my application, Serial No. 101,475, filed April 5, 1902. i0 This invention relates to that form or type of air valves for. radiators in which a hollow member or stem, contractible under the influence of cold and expansible under the influence of heat, furnishes the means for shut--v ting oil the outflow of air and the water of condensation when the same is expanded and permitting such outflow of air and water ,of condensation when the expansible member or stem is contracted.

The objects of the invention. are to fixedly and firmly secure the ekpansilde member or stem atits lower endin the shell or casing the valve and have the connection one by winch the lower end ot the chamber in which 2 5 the expansible memboror stem operates is positively and effectually sealed by the ontering oi the lower end of the oxpansiblc member or stem in its iiXed position in, the lower end of the shell or casing, so that in connection with an adj ustablc plug having a seati'n wall or face to enact with the seating end oi the expansible member or stem, the chamber of the shell or casing in which the lnember or stem operates is sealed, thus insuring the maintaining of a vacuum within the chamber of the shell or casing; to enable the movable or adjustable plug to be changed in its correlation to the acting end of the expansible member or stem without disturbing 40 the vacuum in the chamber of thc casing or shell and without disconnecting the valve from the coupling connecting the valve asa whole with the drain or return pipe for the water of condensation; and to improve gen- 15 orally the construction and arrangement oi'- the several elements which enter into the formation of the-'valve as a whole.

The invention consists in the features of .oonstruction and combinations of parts here 5o inafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the valve of the nvention assembled ready for use; Fig. 2 a S'GGUOHQI elevation oif the valve shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a cross section on line 3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow with the closing cap removed; Fig. 4 a cross section on line 4 oi Fig. 2 looking in the direction ofthe arrow; Fig. 5 a detail in sectional elevation, showing the lower end of the valve shell or casing and the manner of forming a sealed joint for the lower end of the expansible member or stem; and Fig.

6 an elevation of the expansible member or stem and its socket support.

The shell or casing for the valve is made of metal and is formed with a central portion or I body A, a lower portion or neck end A and an upper portion or head A", leaving a cham' her A within the body between the neck and head ends into which chamber a passage 0 extending through a nipple a leads, furnishing communication between the chamber of the shell or casing'and the radiator, when the nipple is entered into the wall of the radiator as usual. The neck A has an exterior screw thread and the head A. has a wall or rim a with an exterior screw thread, and the head has an interior screw thread. The nipple a is .for an attachment of the valve as a whole to a radiator and the passage a furnishes an outlet from the radiator into the chamber A of the shell or casing, so that the air and the water of condensation can enter the chamber of the valve from the radiator to escape from the valve, when the passageway in the valve for the escape is open.

The expansible member or stem B can be made of vulcanite or other material having the adaptability of expanding under heat and contracting under cold. This member or stem has a central longitudinalpassage b, for the eduction of air and the water of condensation when the member or stem is contracted so as to open communication with the chamber A of the ,shell or casing. The body of the member or stem is circular in cross section and its upper or actinq end I), as shown is tapered and forms a p ug or seating end to engage a seating wall or face on the adjustable seat which coacts therewith.

. The seat for the plug or acting end I) of the ex ansible member or stem is in the form 0 a plug O, having an exterior screw thread engaging the interior screw thread of the head A, so as to make a sealed joint around the plug Cwhen entered into the interior of the head A sealing the chamber A at its upper end against the escape of air and the water of condensation The under face of the plug C has therein an opening witha tapered portion 0, forming a wall or seat to seating end of the expansible member or stem; and for turning the plug (J into its proper advanced orreceded position the upper face thereof has a cross nick c for receiving the end' of a screw driver or other implement by means of which the plug C can be turned as required. The adjustment of the plug C is to be one that will cause the expansible member or stem, when expanded under the effects of heat, to engage the seating facev of the plug and close'communication between the chamber A and'the passage 1), and when contracted under the effects of cold have the acting end of the expansible member or stem withdraw n from the coacting seating face of the plug C to open communication between the chamber A and the eduction passage 1), allowing the air and the water of condensation to escape through the eduction passage 1). The. expansible member or stem is shown in its expanded position in Fig. 2 of the drawing and inengagement with the seating wall of the adjustable plug.

The upper end of the shell or casing is closed against access to the seating plug by a cap D having an exterior screw thread and entered into the rim or wall a of the head A of the shell or casing The under face of the cap D, in the construction shown, has an an- Ilular projecting portion d with an inclined peripheral face to receive a packing ring d or gasket cl, which ring or gasket impinges against an inclined face a? on the interior of the head A when the closing cap D is entered into the Wall (1 making a tight joint be-- tween the closing cap D and the rim or wall a, which furnishes additional sealing of the 1 upper end of the shell or casing against the escape of the air and the water of condensa- 55.tion, thus making assured the maintaining of a vacuum in the chamber A after such vacuum has been once established. The closing ca D, as shown, has in its upper face holes (Z for the engagement of a suitable turnkey by which the cap can be entered into and removed from the shell or casing, and when entered the advance of the closing cap should be su'llicient to compress the packing d and form a tight joint for the upper end of the shell or casing.

The exterior screw thread" on the neck A has entered thereonto. acou ling nut E, having an inwardly extending ip or flange c to engage acircumferential flangef on a coupling nipple F, for attaching the couplingni ple to the shell or casing, the coupling nippe serving as a medium for connecting the va ve with a return or drain pipe, not shown; and when the valve is connected the breaking of the coupling, for the purpose of adjusting the relation between the expansible member or stem and its coacting seat, is not required as the adjustment can be made from the upper end of the shell or casing by turning the seating plug and. such turning of the seating plug will not destroy the established vacuum for the valve.

The lower end of the expansible member or stem is entered into a socket support G,

having a central tube 9 which enters a hole therefor in the lower end of the expansible member or stem so as to bring the eduction passage 1) of the member. or stem and the passage in' the tube g in line one with the other 9, into w 10h is entered the lower end of the expansible member or stem and the upper edge 9 of this rim or wall 9 is inwardly turned andv entered into an annular recess b in the body of the expansible member or stem, locking the member or stem-to the socket and making a contact between the exterior pf the expansible member or stem and the interior or the annular rim or wall. The annular rim or wall g of the socket support is entered into an opening therefor'in the lower end a of the shell or casing by forcing the rim or wall into its receivim hole, or otherwise entering the rim or wail g into the wall a. in such manner as to .make a tlght ,joint'between the face of the annular rim or wall g and the face of the wall a of the shell or casing, which joint will atmospherically' seal the chamber A at its lower end, so that, when the expansible member orstem in the chamber A is lengthened, the chamber will be atmosphericall'y sealed at its topand bottom so as to maintain a vacuum when once established. The under face of Zthesocket support G has a depending circumferential flange 9 with an inclined inner face against which face the end of the annular rim f on socket support, when the valve is assembled v end of the shell or casing. The exterior the coupling nipple F will abut, when the ready for use. The engagement of the corner edge of the flange g with the face of the coupling nipple serves to force the socket support into the contacting wall of the shellor casing and to insure the contact or impingcment of a shoulder g on the socket support with a shoulder g on the lower end of the Wall-a", which further insures a positive atmos heric or hermetica'l seal of the lower end 0 the chamber A against the escape of air and the Water of condensation, and also assists in maintaining the vacuum in the chamber A when once established. I The construction of the valve, as a whole,

is one by which the adjustment of the seating face for the expansible member or stem and by Letters Patent is:

1. In an air valve for radiators, the combination of a shell or casing having a chamber therein with an opening at each end of the chamber and an inlet leading into the chamber between its ends, an expansible member or stem having an acting or seating upper' end, a socket snugly entered into the lower end of the shell or casing at the terminus of the lower end of the chamber and having fixedly secured therein the lower end of the expansible member or stem, the socket having a depending flange on its under face and when inserted tightly and atmospherically closing the opening at the lowerend of the chamber of the shell or casing, an adjustable seat for the acting or seating end of the expansible member orstem, located and movablewvithin the upper end of and below and clear of the top of the shell or casing, and when in place tightly and atmospherically closing the opening at the upper end of the chamber of the shell or casing, with a space at the top of the shell or casing above the adjustable seat,'a coupling nut entered onto the lower end of the shell'or casing, and a.

coupling nipple carried by the nut and en tered into the lower end of the shell or casing and engaging the depending'ilange of the socket and effecting an additional seal for the lower end of the chamber, substantially as described. i

2. In an air valve for radiators, the combination of a shell or casing having a chamber therein with an opening at each end of the chamber and an inlet leading into, the chamber between its ends, an expansible member or sternhaving an actingor seating upper socket having fixedly" secured t end, a socket snugly entered into the lower end of the shell or casing at the terminus of the lowerv end of the chamber and having fixedly secured "therein the lower end of the eXpa-nsible member or stem, the socket having a depending flange on its under faceand when inserted tightly and atmospherically closing the opening at the lower end ofthe chamber of the shell or casing, an adjustable seat for the acting or seating end of the expansible member or stem, located and movable within the upper end of and below and 1 clear of the top ol the shell or casing-and when in place tightly and atmosphcrically closing the opening at the upper end of the chamber of the shell or casing, with a space at the top of the shell or casing above the ad' justable seat, a couplingnut' entered onto,

the lower end of the shell or casing, a coup ling nipple carried by the. nut and entered into the lower end of the shell or casing and engaging the depending flange of the-socket I and effecting an additional seal for the lower end of the chamber, and a removable closing and sealing cap entered into the interior of and engaged with the upper end of the shell 'or casing and located above the adjustable seat for effecting a double sealing at the up per end of the chamber of the shell or casing and enabling access to be had to the adjustable seat without breaking the seal of the adjustable seat, substantially as described.

3. In an air valve for'radiators, the combination of a shell or casing having a chamber therein with an opening at each end of the chamber the wall forming the lower openshoulder, an inlet leading into the chamber .between its ends, an expansible member or stem, located in the chamber and having an, acting or seating upper end, and a socket having fixedly secured therein the lower end ofthe expansible member or stem, the socket having a rim or wall to enter and engage with a wall of, the shell or casing and having an enlarged lower end forming a shoulder adapted to engage from below the under cut shoulder on the wall of the shell or casing, for the socket with its shoulder, the stem, and the wall of the shell or casing with its shoulder to tightly close and furnish an atmospheric seal for the opening at the lower end of the chamber of the shell or casing, substantially as described. v v 4. In an air valve for radiators, the combination of a shell or casing having a chamber therein with an'openin at each end of the chamber and an inlet eading into the chamber between its ends, an expansible member or stem located in the chamber and having an acting or seating upper end, a ierein the lower end of the expansible member or stem t'he'socket having a rim or wall to enter and ing having formed therein an under cut having a shoulder at the start of the rim or wall to engage from below-a shoulder on the wall of the shell or casing, for the socket with its. shoulder, the stem, and the wall of the shell or casingwith its shoulder to tightly close'and iatmospherically seal the opening and the lower end of thechamber of the shell or casing, and an ad'ustable seat for theacting or seating end o the expansible Inember or stem,- located and movable 1n the 0 en upperend of and below and clear of the s ell orcasing, and when in place closing and atmospherically sealing the o enin at the up-, per end of the chamber oft e she l or casing,

substantially as described. p 5. In an air valve for radiators, the combination of a shell or casing having a chamber therein with "an opening ateach endof the chamber and an inletlea'ding into the chamber between its ends, an expansible member or stem located in the chamber and having. anacting or seating u per end, a socket havin fixedly secured therein .the' lower end of t lt ezexpansible member or stem,

the socket having on its under side a -de-- pending flange with an inner contact edge and having a rim or wall to enter and engage with a Wall of the shell or casing and having a shoulder-at the start of the rim or Wall to enend of the chamber of the shell or casing coupling nut entered onto the lower en the shell or casing, and a couplingnipple entered into the coupling nut and having a bear Ling end joint for effecting an additional atmospheric sealing for the chamber of the shell orc'asing' at its lower end, substantially as described.

FRED W.-LEUTHESSER.

" Witnesses:

' WiLLIAM P. BOND, WALKER BANNING.

to engage with the contact edge iof the depending flange of the socket, making a' 

